Mechanism for sinking torpedoes



June 5, 1923. 1,457,700 J. H HAMMOND, JR

MECHANISM FOR SINKING TORPEDOES Original Filed Dec. 23, 1918 IIIYENTOR ms MIMI/EV Patented June 5, 1923.

UNITED STATES JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR., 0]? GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANISM FOR SINKING TORPEDOES.

Application filed December 23, 1918, Serial No. 287,993.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, Jr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gloucester, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Sinking Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide a means for causing a torpedo to sink at the end of its run or at an approximate predetermined time after its release; to provide means controlled by the fuel supply to cause a torpedo to sink; to provide means for automatically causing a sea-cock on a. torpedo to open at a predetermined time to admit water to sink the torpedo; to provide means to maintain a seacock open after it has been opened under the required conditions; to provide means for automatically causing a marine body to sink: and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing the figure represents a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of a torpedo equipped with a mechanism embodying the present invention.

Referring to the drawing one form of the invention is shown, wherein the parts of the device are located, by way of example, upon a torpedo 10, which is arranged to be driven in a well known manner by a suitable engine (not shown) receiving its fuel supply by way of a pipe 11 in communication with a fuel supply tank 12,

For the purpose of admitting water to the interior of the torpedo body 10 from the surrounding body of water, an inlet pipe 13 is suitably arranged to form a passage through the torpedo body 10, preferably in the bottom thereof which passage communicates at one end with the exterior of the torpedo 10, being filled with water, While the opposite end communicates with the interior of the torpedo 10. Intermediate the ends of the pipe 13 there is a sea-cock valve 14 preferably of the rotary type, such as a Kingston valve, which in closed position seals the passage and prevents water from entering the body of the torpedo 10. This valve 14 is provided with a transverse bore L5 which, in open position of the valve, aligns with the passage to permit free flow of the water.

In order to control the action of the valve 14 the movable or rotatable part, in which Renewed October 27, 1922. Serial No. 597,428.

the bore 15 is formed, is connected to a lever arm 16 having its free end pivotally secured to a link 17 which is arranged to be operated by a suitable automatic mechanism operable under certain conditions to cause the valve 14 to be opened and thus admit water to sink the torpedo 10.

One means for thus opening the valve 14 consists of a cylinder 20 mounted upon a suitable fixed frame 21 and having a piston 22 slidably arranged therein and fixed to a piston rod 23 which projects through one end of the cylinder 20 and terminates in a pivotal connection with the link 17 Normally the piston 22 is held by a spring 24 in a position to maintain the valve lat closed and the inlet passage in consequence sealed to the admission of water.

For moving the piston 22 against the pre sure of the spring 24 to open the valve 14, the end of the cylinder 20, on the opposite side of the piston from the spring 24, is in communication with a pipe 25 which joins a valve casing 26 provided with a slide valvepiece 27 serving to admit and out off pressure fluid to and from the pipe 25, A supply reservoir 30 for compressed air or other suitable pressure fluid is in communication with the valve casing 26 by way of a pipe 31 and when the valve-piece 27 is in one position the pressure fluid has free flow to and through the pipe 25 and when in another position the pressure fluid is cut oil from the pipe 25. Normally the valve-piece 27 is in the cut-off position, being so maintained by a spring 32 bearing at one end against a fixed part, such as a washer 33 encircling a projecting stem 34 of the valve-piece 27, and bearing at the other end against a head 35 secured to or formed on the end of the stem 34.

For the purpose of automatically actuating the valve-piece 27 to establish communication between the pipes 25 and 31, the change in the liquid level in the fuel supply tank 12 is utilized. This is done, in the present instance, by providing a float 36 arranged for rectilinear movement between fixed guide rods 37 and prevented from rotary movement by means of bifurcated ears 38, which are respectively located to straddle the rods 37. The float 36 has affixed thereto a stem 40 which projects from the tank 12 and terminates in a laterally disposed trip arm 41 located above, but in alignment with, the head 35 of the valve stem 34. A fixed bracket 42 is provided to guide and maintain the fioatstem 40 in proper position. From the foregoing it will be evident, when the fuel level has been lowered a predetermined distance, that the trip arm 41 will strike the head 35 and cause the valve stem 34 to be depressed and thus open the valve 27 to establish communication between the cyl inder 20 and the source of fluid pressure 30. This results in the piston 22 being moved to the left, as seen in the figure, to open the sea-cock valve 14 and cause water to enter the interior of the torpedo body 10.

In order to prevent the valve 14 from closing, once it has been opened, the piston rod 23, or any suitable moving part, is provided with a lug 43 which is fixedly secured thereto and arranged in open position of the valve 14 to be engaged by a spring pressed latch 44 pivotally connected to a suitable fixed part. The latch 44 is located in the path of movement of the lug 43 and when engaged by the inclined face of the lug 43 it is pressed back to permit the rod 23 to complete its stroke. As soon as the lug 43 travels beyond the latch 44, the latter springs back and assumes a position in the rear of the flat side of the lug 43, so that the parts are locked against return movement. A stop pin 45 prevents the latch 44 being turned in the reverse direction beyond the required point.

It will now be apparent that a complete unitary structure has been provided and operating as a combination to carry out the desired end of causing the automatic admission of water to a marine body at a certain time to cause the body to sink.

Although only a few of the many forms in which this invention may be embodied have been described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but might be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the ap ended claims.

' aving thus fully described the invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. In combination a marine body, a fuel tank on said body, and means operated by a change of level of the fuel in said tank to a predetermined point for causing said body to sink.

2. In combination a marine body, a fuel tank on said body, and means operated by a change of level of the fuel in said tank to a predetermined point to admit water to said body to cause said body to sink.

3. In combination a marine body, motive means therefore including a source of liquid fuel supply, and means operated by the lowering of the liquid fuel level in said supply to cause said body to sink.

4. In combination a torpedo, a fuel tank therein, a sea-cock valve for said torpedo, and means operated by the lowering of the level of the liquid fuel in said tank for opening said valve to cause said torpedo to sink.

5. In combination a torpedo, a fuel tank therein, a sea-cock valve for said torpedo, and means automatically operable by the lowering of the level of the liquid fuel in said tank to a predetermined point to open said valve to cause said torpedo to sink.

6. In combination a torpedo, a fuel tank therein, a sea-cock valve for said torpedo, means operated by the lowering of the liquid in said tank for opening said valve to cause said torpedo to sink, and means to maintain said valve open.

7. In a self-propelled movable body, a fuel tank, means controlled by the amount of fuel in said tank to exert a predetermined effect on the course of said body.

8. In a self-propelled movable body, a fuel tank, means controlled by the amount of fuel in said tank to exert at a predetermined time a predetermined effect on the course of said body.

9. In a self-propelled movable body, a fuel tank, means controlled by the amount of fuel in said tank to exert before the exhaustion of said fuel a predetermined effect on the rourse of said body.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 19th day of December, A. D. 1918.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR. 

